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Season
Any
date from the beginning of March to the end of June and from the 10th of
September to the end of December. It will be too hot to walk in
July and August.
The
climate on Elba is generally much warmer and dryer than the rest
of Tuscany. It is more comparable to southern Italy.
Level of Difficulty
Grade: Easy to Challenging. It is really up to you
what you do. There are some steep hills, some paths with
rough surfaces, and some longish days.
Fitness: A high standard of fitness is not necessary, you can choose
between several excursions with different grades. But in order to
make the most of the spectacular walks, you should be able to walk
for 7 hours a day in hot sun, even in spring or autumn, on tracks
and paths with long ascents. Being prepared for a range of
temperatures on a walk, and being sensibly dressed, with good
boots, a sun hat and having enough water are very important things
on this trip.
Waymarking: The routes are waymarked with red/white signs and
numbers, sometimes also with green signs.
It is however necessary to follow the route descriptions
provided together with the maps.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation
is on a bed and breakfast basis in a 3 star hotel with en suite
facilities Picnic lunches are not included in the tour price, but materials for picnics can
be purchased in Portoferraio or in the villages where you start
your walk.
Please
note that according to Italian Law, all hotels must close their
restaurants on one night each week.
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Nights 1 –
5: can be spent on your request in a up-graded four star hotel
adjoining the thermal baths of San.Giovanni, specializing in mud
treatments, or in a three star hotel close to the centre of
Portoferraio.
The
up-graded hotel offers you a long list of services, from thermal
treatments, (especially enjoyable after a long walk) to a boat
service to the next beach, tennis, bikes (all included) and
restaurant. The rooms provided have a balcony or terrace, facing a
huge surrounding garden and the sea. Rooms have air-conditioning,
private facilities, TV, and phone.
Our
standard 3 star hotel is located near the city centre, and has a
nice view overlooking the sea side, a surrounding garden and
direct access to the beach. All rooms are provided with private
bath, TV, and phone.
Please
note that you should make sure that your insurance
covers you
for any optional
activities that you may consider.
Extra Nights
It
is possible to do other walking excursion options, as you can
alternate your walks with several other activities (local payment
will be involved). These include golf, horse riding, kayaking,
sailing, mountain biking, climbing and boat excursions, six days
will never be enough!
On Self-guided holidays we provide you with:
Route
notes and maps.
Arrival
The tour starts in
Portoferraio, which is connected by ferryboats with Piombino in 1
hour or by hydrofoil in 30 mins. The harbour in Piombino is
reachable by train from Pisa:
Journey time 2 -2.5 hours,
or Rome, journey time 3.5 - 4 hours. For a car service from Pisa
to Piombino (1.5 hours drive) please contact Sherpa who may be
able to
organize this on your behalf.
End of Tour
The
tour ends after breakfast on day 6 in Portoferraio. The ferryboat
will bring you back to Piombino, from here the train departs for
Pisa or Rome. |
Outline
Itinerary
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Day 1:
ferryboats connect Portoferraio (the island) to the mainland, there are two companies operating this, every 40 minutes.
The ships take 1 hour to cover the route between Piombino and
Portoferraio. Alternatively there are also some hydrofoils
running. To reach Piombino from Pisa there are some direct trains
running, otherwise you need to change once in Castellina Marittima,
from where a regular bus service operates. The journey time is
between 2 and 3 hours.
From
Rome trains pass through Grosseto and Castellina Marittima. The
journey time from Rome is between 3.5
and 4 hours. The hotels in Portoferraio are 10 -15 minutes
walk away, alternatively you can get a taxi, which will get you to
your destination in a few minutes.
Note: Days 2 - 5 can be
taken in any order. Other walks not described are also possible,
as are horse riding, diving, boat excursions to the other
surrounding islands and golf.
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Day 2: Bus or boat to Cavo in the
iron mine area of Elba, in the northeast of the island. From here
there is a long walk on the ridge of the mountains known as Grosso,
Strega, Capannello and Cima del Monte, reaching 516m above sea
level. The magnificent 360-degree view is unique and gives a good
idea about the lay out of the Tuscan archipelago. Before
descending to the monastery of the Madonna del Monserrato with a
view facing the ruins of Volterraio. A fortress built in 1200 by the Pisans that was never
conquered. You
eventually reach Porto Azzurro, a pleasant small village
surmounted by the Spanish fortress built to guard the gulf and
harbour where their ships where based. This is a long walk, 19km
but can be divided into two parts, finishing the walk at Rio
nell’Elba.
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Day 3: In 25 mins by bus you will reach the hamlet of Capolivieri,
which by itself is a
worthy excursion. From here a gentler circular walk on the
southeast part of Elba begins. There are old mines to visit and a
splendid view of the island of Montecristo (as in Count of!) and
Pianosa. How about bathing before finishing the tour? There are
several bays and creeks where you could have a swim. This all
makes for a very pleasant and relaxing walk of only 9km.
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Day 4: Take a bus
to San Piero, a small
village at the foot of the Monte Capanne, the highest peak of
the island. A gentle walk of 12km leads you through the granite
area, along the south west coast, passing over the ridge of Monte
Cenno. Along this walk you find several “Caprili” arch tower
houses built around 200-300B.C. These are typical constructions
built by the Sardinians. There are also
“Nuraghi”, shelters built much later on, where the
shepherd and their animals find refuge for the night. The
incredible silence of this area makes it possible to come across
some mouflons (mountain sheep) and wild boars. The walk ends at
Fetovaia, a small heavenly bay with pale blue water and fine sand.
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Day 5:
Another relaxing walk, with not such a big ascent, through the
central area of Elba, where the famous Alleatico wine is
cultivated. Along the walk you will pass some farmhouses where you
can test the local wines, their honey and the olive oil. This time
you cross the island from the north coast to the southern one,
passing through San Martino and the summer residence of Napoleon,
at Monte Fonza. This walk permits you to visit all the different
types of scenery found upon the island.
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Day
6:
The tour ends after breakfast. |
